837.20/279
The Ambassador in Cuba (Braden) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 9.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Embassy’s despatch No. 3916 of July 24, 1943,31 on the subject, “Industrial Areas in Cuba to be declared War Zones”. The decree mentioned in the last paragraph of this despatch has now been published in the Official Gazette No. 424 of July 26, 1943, and copies are enclosed herewith.32
This decree will enable the Cuban Government to set up a security zone for the Nicaro Nickel project,33 a course of action desired by the Department and by the Embassy for some months past. The decree, however, is very much more extensive than would have been required by the Nicaro project alone and places in the hands of the Government potential control over the economic life of the country. The Embassy, in the course of its repeated representations to the Prime Minister and other officials of the Government, has been careful to stress the fact that our Government is—at least for the present—interested in the creation of a security area only at Nicaro and that the possibility of providing military control over other areas is one to be decided entirely by the Cuban Government.
Respectfully yours,